I Promise
by Herochick007
Summary: Lily Luna Potter loves Anastasia Nott. She promises to tell her family about her, about their relationship, when Ani is murdered by a man known as The Fairy Dust Killer, can Lily keep her promise? Warning: Contains murder, extremely homophobic tones and language, and assault.


**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**Assignment #10**

**Beauty Therapy**

**Task #3 Concealer: Write about hiding something.**

**Word count: 2005**

Lily leaned over and caught her fingers on the long dark hair of the other girl on the pitch. Ani Nott let out a shriek before flipping her broom right side up. The pair were the only ones out on the quidditch pitch. It was nearly curfew, but not quite. They always met here around this time.

"It had to be you, didn't it Potter?" Lily smiled.

"Who else would be out here at this hour?" she asked. Ani shrugged slightly.

"I don't know. Are you going home for the holiday?"

"I was planning to, but if you're not..."

"I...I want to, and I want you come with me, Lily."

"I can't. My father would find out." Lily stated landing her broom. Ani landed next to her.

"So? Let him find out. Are you ashamed of me?" Lily leaned over and kissed Ani.

"Never. I'm just not ready to come out yet. Not after that whole mess with James and that stupid flying motorcycle."

"You can't hide this forever, Lily. Sooner or later, everyone's going to know about us. Half the school kind of does," Ani teased flashing Lily a huge smile.

"I know, Ani. Just give me a little longer, this summer, I promise!" Lily stated. Ani nodded slowly.

"Alright, this summer, you promise."

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Lily Luna Potter nearly screamed when she saw the picture on the front of the Daily Prophet. She'd only just arrived home for the summer holidays about three days ago. The girl on the front of the paper was scowling up her through a curtain of blond hair.

"Something wrong?" Ginny asked. She blinked staring at the paper. She had no idea what had set her daughter off. Did she know this girl?

"No, maybe, what's Ani's picture doing in the paper? Did something happen to her?" Ginny nodded slowly. She hadn't realized Lily knew the girl. She set the paper face down on the table.

"She was in your year, wasn't she?"

"Was? She's dead?!" Lily choked back a sob, her breathing becoming slightly erratic. Ginny frowned.

"Yes, I didn't realize the two of you were close. You never mentioned her in your letters." Lily nodded slowly. Lily had never mentioned Ani at all.

"We...we had some classes together," she whispered as the tears she'd been fighting started falling down her face. Ginny handed her a tissue.

"What happened to her?" Lily finally asked. Ginny didn't want to tell her, didn't want her daughter to know the evil that had claimed another young life. Harry answered instead.

"She was murdered, Lily. Same as the other five young witches," he said. Lily nodded, biting her lower lip. She'd heard about the case, heard some wizards talking about the Fairy Dust Killer. The Dust Killer murdered young witches and covered their bodies in a sparkly glittery substance. That was how they'd earned that horrible nickname. She'd known her father was handling the case, but she'd managed not to think about the whole horrible mess.

"Did...did she suffer?" Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What kind of question is that?" Ginny asked staring at her daughter. Harry shook his head.

"No, it was quick. She did not suffer." Lily nodded and quickly excused herself from the table.

She ran to her room and threw herself on the bed bursting into tears. Ani was dead, someone had murdered her. The whole room felt like it was spinning out of control. Lily curled up in a ball under the thick blankets. They should have had forever together, or at least the rest of school.

"Lily? Are you alright?" Albus asked walking past the room.

"I'm fine," she lied as ignored her brother's footsteps coming closer. She felt the blanket being pulled back.

"Lils, what's wrong? Don't tell me it's nothing."

"Ani. Her name is, was, Ani. Ani Nott...she...she..." Lily burst into tears again.

"She what, Lily?" Lily shook her head.

"I can't, Al. I just...it's too soon." Albus nodded.

"When you're ready to talk, Lily, I'll be here." She nodded watching him leave the room. She pulled herself up. There was a picture of Ani in the nightstand. She wanted to look at it, feel the paper between her fingers. She wanted to pretend the girl she loved wasn't dead.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Lunch was a silent affair. Lily didn't leave her room. Ginny tried to talk to her multiple times. Lily ignored her.

"Please, just talk to me. What is this about, Lily? The girl in the paper? Are you afraid someone's going to hurt you like they did her?" Lily shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand. No one understands," Lily nearly screamed. The picture of her and Ani curled tightly in her fist. Ginny tried sitting on the bed, but Lily just pulled away. She'd promised Ani...now Ani was gone. Nothing made sense.

"Your father will be home for dinner. He's making it a priority, Lily. He still hasn't found a link between these murders." Lily looked up at her with red rimmed eyes.

"But he'll catch the person right?" He had to! If he didn't, then Ani's murder would never been avenged.

"I'm sure something will break the case, Lily. Your father is one of the best." Lily nodded slowly. Ginny had a point.

"Mum."

"Yes, Lily."

"You'd love me no matter what, right?" Lily asked softly.

"Of course, why? Is there something you need to tell me? Is there a boy? Did..." Lily wrinkled her nose guessing where this line of questioning was going.

"Ewww, mum, no. There's no boy and no one's doing that."

"Alright, you'd tell me if there was?" Lily nearly laughed.

"It's...something else, mum."

"Lily." Lily sighed, the little bit of courage she'd managed to build had disappeared.

"It was just, nothing. I'll be down for dinner." Ginny nodded standing and walking towards the doorway. She gave Lily one last look before leaving the room.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Lily stood in the doorway of her father's study. He was sitting in his chair at his desk. She knocked slowly.

"Lily, come in, please." She walked into the office. It smelled of books, ink, a slight dusty smell.

"Dad?"

"I know you tried to talk to your mum about something. Something that's bothering you." She nodded.

"I tried to talk to Albus too. I...lost my courage." Harry nodded to the empty chair across from him.

"Sit down, Lily." She listened sinking into the chair.

"Dad. It's about Ani."

"Ani?"

"Anastasia Nott. The girl in the paper this morning." Harry watched Lily for a second.

"What about her?"

"Mum said you didn't have a link between the victims."

"That's true, do you know something Lily?" She nodded slightly.

"Yes. I know something about Ani that no one else knew."

"Do you think it's relevant to the case?" Lily bit her lip, tears building in her eyes.

"Maybe. If it is...then..." A loud crash outside caught their attention. Harry pulled his wand.

"Stay here Lily. I'll be right back." She nodded, her fingers curling around her own wand. She knew she wasn't supposed to use magic outside of school, but she needed to be able to defend herself, didn't she? She curled on the floor against the desk. A flash of red light lit up the sky outside. She heard yelling. She couldn't tell who was yelling. The window shattered covering the desk and her head in glass.

"Lily, run!" she heard her dad yell. She started crawling towards the door, but someone grabbed her hair from behind. They yanked her. She dropped her wand.

"Gotcha! Little abomination!" Lily tried to wiggle free, but the hand holding her hair yanked her to her feet. She spun to face her assailant. She didn't recognize him. He was older than her, maybe her dad's age?

"Let me go," she screamed kicking at him. He moved his hand down her hair, holding her close to her scalp.

"You are an abomination in the eyes of the world, little girl. Nasty dirty little blighter."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed hoping her dad would hear her. She doubted it. She was on her own.

"Your unnatural ways, witch. Witches with witches don't pass on the bloodlines." Lily's eyes widened.

"This is because I loved Ani! You murdered her!" She kicked at him again, this time her foot connecting with a very sensitive part of the male anatomy. He howled in pain dropping her. She grabbed her wand and spun.

"Petrificus totalus," she screamed binding him. He fell with a loud 'thud' against her dad's desk. The corner of his head hitting the heavy wood. She shuddered as blood started pooling around him.

"Lily!" She looked up through the broken window. Harry was making his way through. She looked down at the man she'd bound.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she whispered. Harry grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. Harry stopped the bleeding ensuring her assailant would live for trial.

As the aurors took the man away, Lily stood next to Harry.

"What did he say to you?" he asked.

"He called me an abomination," she whispered.

"You are not an abomination, Lily," Harry stated. She nodded slowly.

"Dad."

"Yes Lily?"

"I like girls. That's why he came after me. Ani was my girlfriend. He called me an abomination because I loved Ani," Lily cried. Harry held her gently.

"He's going away, Lily, for a long time. And it doesn't matter to me, or your mum, who you love." Lily sniffled nodding.

"Thank you," she whispered as Harry took their hand and led her back into their home. Ginny wrapped her arms around Lily as they approached.

"Thank Merlin. Lily, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I like girls. I loved Ani and I want to go that man's trial." Harry nodded. Ginny pulled Lily closer and hugged her tightly again.

"We'll all go, since he nearly killed you, and because Ani meant so much to you. I'm sorry we never got to meet her." Lily gave her mum a sad smile.

"She would have liked you. I promised her I'd tell you about her this summer, at least...I guess, I kept my promise."

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Ulrich Detrivo, previously known as the Fairy Dust Killer, was sentenced to life in Azkaban. He was found to be a pure blood supremacist who believed love should only be between a witch and wizard. All else was pollution to the bloodlines and should be eradicated. Lily watched from the front row of seats. He glared at her, but she kept her eyes on him, as if daring him to even think of doing anything. Her bravado failed as they left the court room and she nearly collapsed into her mum's arms.

"Ginny, Harry," Lily looked up.

"Pansy, Theo." The two couples nodded at each other. Pansy Nott, nee Parkinson, walked over to Lily.

"Lily, I'm sorry you and Ani never got the chance to grow old together. She drew this, before," Pansy said handing Lily a folded sheet of paper. Lily opened and smiled slightly. Ani had drawn her and Lily sitting on a pair of brooms, both of them smiling and holding hands. "She would have wanted you to have it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Nott." Ginny put a hand on Lily's shoulder and led her from the crowd.

"Ready to go home?" Lily shook her head.

"Not yet, there's one last thing I need to do." Ginny nodded slowly.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I need to do it alone."

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Lily stood at Ani's grave looking at the freshly carved stone.

"Ani, I'm sorry. I...I miss you. I loved you. I still love you. I did it though, after I was almost killed for it. I did it. I finally told my parents about us. I guess, it's a little late though. I'll miss you, Ani," she whispered bending down and digging a small hole. She placed Ani's drawing in it and recovered it in dirt.

"Good bye, Ani."


End file.
